Which to use
“ruin” is an adjective and “run” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #30,659
- “ruin” frequency rank
- #15,221
- “run” frequency rank
- 45880
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ruin | run |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Que por su bajeza merece el desprecio. | Correr. |
Where the eye mixes ruin and run
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses ruin with run
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ruin is [ˈrwĩn] while run is /ɹʌn/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45880, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ruin is recorded at frequency rank #30,659, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈrwĩn]. run is at rank #15,221, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɹʌn/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 45880, this pair ranks #128,951 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ruin vs run
Shared letters: nru. Private to "ruin": i. Private to "run": -.
"ruin" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "run" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- ruin ← riun · rruin · ruinn · runi · urin
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "ruin" and "run" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "ruin" vs "run" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ruin" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "run" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #128,951 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ruin" and "run" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "rugir vs ruin". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #128,951 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.